The Emotional Effect
by lilpumpkingirl
Summary: Lucy is not your typical 17 year old girl. Her stunning good looks are overwhelmed by her over analytical brain that makes her brutally honest and abrasive on her best days. Enter then a hotheaded delinquent whose every action stems from raw emotion with little forethought. Are they the perfect pair or a fiery mess that will devour all?
1. With Diamonds in the Sky

The Emotional Effect

**Summary**: Lucy is not your typical 17 year old girl. Her stunning good looks are overwhelmed by her over analytical brain that makes her brutally honest and abrasive on her best days. Enter then a hotheaded delinquent whose every action stems from raw emotion with little forethought. Are they the perfect pair or a fiery mess that will devour all?

~~~~.~-~.~~~~

"Emotional ties are ephemeral and undependable." -Dr. Temperance Brennan _"Bones"_

"Love is a chemical process which causes delusion. An intellectually rigorous person would never get married." -Dr. Temperance Brennan _"Bones"_

~~~~.~-~.~~~~

- Chapter One -

With Diamonds in the Sky

Alone, a young boy of nine sat on a swing. The park was near empty with the dwindling hour and the sky aglow with a splash of colors from a painter's brush - orange, red, and pinks that swirled on a distant canvas that hung above green tree tops as the hazy ball of light vanished beyond. His feet dragged in the chunks of bark as he lazily swung. A mother's sharp cry pierced the air, he flinched. Two children playing on the clustered toys before him rushed towards her laughing and squealing as they pushed each other to reach her first. He watched from behind rosy bangs, his chest constricting. He sighed softly and dropped his gaze when the mother glanced at him worriedly but did nothing about her fleeting concern as she ushered her own children away.

He kicked a hunk of bark with his sneaker. His hands gripping the chains tightened, a note in his right hand crumbled. Autumn wind whispered through the park trees, chilled with the warnings of approaching night. Soon it would get cold. He shivered, realizing he forgot a jacket and his thin _Charzard _flaming t-shirt wouldn't be enough.

"Hey you," a small voice rang out behind him.

Jerking with surprise the young boy turned to the voice. There he found a small girl no more than a year younger than him. She peered curiously at him with large chocolate eyes, so impossibly innocent and big with her chin tucked into the collar of her cream winter coat. He stopped swinging. Freeing himself from those captivating warm eyes, he took in the rest of her and fought the tug of his lips. Her gold spindled hair was braided neatly back, white fuzzy ear muffs covering her ears and matching mittens. With her cream down coat she looked like a puffed up marshmallow.

She tilted her head, the motion not going far with her oversized coat. Laughter burst from his lips and filled the silent park. He leaned forward, left hand seizing his stomach. Her brows pinched with confusion but her lips also tugged up, his smile and laughter contagious.

"Y-You...Phhht." He shook his head, brushing the tears from his eyes. Never would he admit that some of them were left over from his previous gloomy mood. "You look... like a-a... mar-marshmallow."

Her eyes widened, then examined herself before smiling. "I do, but at least I am warm."

His laugher slowly died. With the sun almost completely set and her small comment he noticed how he was constantly shivering. He faced forward on the swing, both hands in his lap. The paper crumbled.

"What do you want?"

She moved silently to sit in the swing next to him and pushed off. A swinging marshmallow... He shook his head and smiled, forcing himself not to watch the swinging marshmallow.

"Nothing," with her soft retort his head came up, "Nothing from you."

He frowned, confused by her words.

"Then why are you here?"

She closed her eyes, giving a huge kick that had the chains groaning, and answered with a question of her own, "Why are you here?"

"I-I... uh... I was just..." he sputtered, the paper crumbled more. Then he realized something. "Hey! I asked first!"

"You did."

He gawked at the girl when she offered no clarification as she swung, staring above at the sky that was giving way to shadows and stars. _Man, this girl is weird._ A huff escaped him and he found himself sneaking peeks every few seconds. Not that she was paying him any attention. It was like she was off in her own world, her bright brown eyes a glow with thoughts. Not wanting to push the girl away, the first person to enter the gloomy two yard radius that had clung to him all day, he started to swing with her.

They fell into a surprisingly comfortable silence.

Or so he thought until minutes later her voice startled him, "It is not going to read itself if you stare at it."

The boy blinked, realizing he had stopped swinging and was indeed staring at the crumbled paper in his right hand. His gut churned with warring emotions. Tilting his head he found her still swinging, staring at the stars. He swallowed. Then slowly, meticulously he un-crumbled the paper and smoothed it out on his leg. The back was to him and he closed his eyes as he turned it around.

"Igneel Dragneel... 345 W Sunnyside St. Drakston, California." He flinched, opening his eyes and tensed seeing as she stood in front of him, leaning over to read the paper upside-down. How had he not heard her move? She let out a whistle, her rosy cheeks puffy out. "That sure is far from upper New York. Who is he?"

"My father," he murmured, blushing and averting his eyes to the paper.

The address written plainly in sprawling curving handwriting had been given to him by the nice police lady who recently started helping out at the orphanage. After finding a hidden picture of his mother an supposed father in an old photo book he'd brought with him in that box, he decided he might as well look for his father if he was going to have to move anyways.

She hummed to herself as she straightened. "Are you going there?"

"I... I don't know." He hung his head further. "He doesn't even know I exist... and... and it costs lots of money and stuff. And even if Miss Sally said she'd help... what if he... he doesn't want me?"

He looked up seeking comfort from the unknown girl, only to see that she was looking up at the stars once more. His shoulders sagged, head dropping down. What did his troubles matter to this girl? She didn't know him. Judging by her down coat and fuzzy ear muffs she knew nothing of his woes. She had loving parents. She knew the pleasures of money. She didn't have to worry about the orphanage closing. She had everything...

"My mother died four days ago."

The young boy gasped, shocked that the girl would just come out and say it. How could she say it so... casually? Surely she should be sad, right? Her voice should griever and she should be tearing up. But there wasn't any of that. Instead she stared unemotionally up at the winking stars, eyes bright with thoughts and wonder.

"I'm... sorry?" Usually that was what one said when someone's loved one died, but he wasn't sure in this case.

When his mother died he'd been too young to understand, little older than an infant. He'd lived with his mother's parents for a few years until they too died in a car accident. He remembered crying for them. He remembered the fear of the unknown as child services took him to the orphanage with a backpack and a box. Then the pain dampened with time and he gained many friends that helped him forget the ache. But that had taken years... How could this girl be so calm and serene about her mother's death?

She shook her head. "Everyone dies someday. It is the rule of life. There will be an end for every beginning..." Her voice trailed off and she bit her lip. A strained expression briefly winkled her brow and made her lips twitch, but disappeared swiftly with a forced smile. "At least that is what she said. She said that while she may be gone I still have the memories we made together; it is with those memories she lives on inside me. Instead of crying I should cherish them and know that with death she cannot hurt anymore, and that the pain I feel is merely a chemical endued attachment that... that will fade with time."

"Ahhh..." He reached up, brushing a single tear from her cheek. Her brown eyes met his, startled, having not realized she'd been tearing up. "You're weird. You shouldn't force yourself not to feel sad or hurt. Just because it's some chemical thingy doesn't make the pain feel any less real. "

Her lower lip trembled and she clamped it between her teeth again trying to stop the quaking. "Y-You think?

"Yeah!" He nodded and flashed her a huge face splitting smile.

She blinked. Then, without warning, she launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his waist and knocking him backwards off the swing. His back hit the bark and he grunted. Both their legs were tangled up in the swing and neither noticed nor cared as she sobbed into Charzard's face. Stunned, and just a wee bit embarrassed as his cheeks flushed, he hesitantly returned her embrace.

He lifted his head, kicking their legs free from the swing and slowly sat up with her clinging tightly to him. _Crap, crap, crap! What am I supposed to do now?_ His eyes frantically searched the empty park as he held the girl to him and reached up to stop the swings seat from knocking him upside the head. _I didn't mean for her to cry now! _He gently rubbed her back. _Man, she's getting my shirt all snotty and wet..._

But what could he do? At nine his usual interaction with girls was pulling their hair, pranks, and stealing their dolls so he could blow them up with minor fireworks he jacked from the orphanage storage unite out back. He made them cry and let the other girls or the grownups deal with the tears. This was so far beyond him.

And yet...

He couldn't bring himself to shove this girl off him and run away like crazy Mother Aida was hot on his tail with a rolling pin to paddle his ass. Not only was she warming him from the cold but... He wasn't sure, but there was something about how she looked at her mother's death that didn't sit right with him. It was so... grown up and _detached_. Was that really how her mother wanted her to view death?

"I... I'm sorry..." She sniffled, pulling away and wiping her face with her mittens. "Papa says tears are a waist of energy... energy I could spend improving myself."

_I get it... I think, _he mused as he straightened her fuzzy white ear muffs on her head.

"I guess, if you keep crying and mope around then that's when it is a bad thing," he offered, leaning back on his hands and looked away from her, a faint pink dusting on his cheeks. "But you can't help how you feel and ignoring it... I think... won't make it go away. How else you supposed to move on to-to cherish those happy memories?"

She pulled her mitten away from her face and stared at him for a few long seconds that had him blushing harder.

"You know, that actually sounded smart."

"Well of course- HEY!" a strangled cry escaped him as he glared at her. "You sayin' you thought I was stupid or something?"

"I did not say that, but it does seem silly to not wear a coat right now," with that said she gave him her own heartwarming smile.

He gapped like a fish. Realizing how stupid he looked as she giggled, covering her mouth with her hand, he crossed his arms and legs, glaring to the side. "W-Whatever."

Her giggles increased.

"Geez. Shut up already!"

Sighing, she shifted and sat back onto her legs. He watched from the corner of his vision as she unzipped her coat a little and drew out a silky red scarf. Curious he turned his head as she gently tugged the scarf free. She held the material within her hands, staring at it for a few heart beats. There was a sad and yet content smile on her lips. She looked up, holding his dark gaze.

"This was my Mama's," she whispered, "She used to wear it a lot to family gatherings."

"Ah... that's cool?"

She snorted and rolled her eyes before leaning over and wrapped it around his neck. His eyes widened with her proxy and the motion. Her hands trailed to one end and spread out the silky material. "See, there's a dragon on it. The great fire salamander." He could see it. Woven skillfully within the crimson silk was an ebony dragon spewing orange and yellow flames. "Mama said he is supposed to protect the wearer, especially when he rests over the heart like so..." She set the end of the scarf over his heart.

"You're giving t-this... to me?"

Her smile grew as she nodded. He felt the silky material beneath his fingers. At first stunned by getting any gift at all from a girl let alone a stranger. And secondly, he was struck by the quality of the scarf. It wasn't some cheep trinket. Not only did it have personal value to the girl but the boy could tell it was old and... and it had to have cost a fortune! It also looked wicked cool. Being a boy, especially a nine year old boy who'd rather play in mud all day, he didn't get the hype with clothes. But even he knew that scarves and silk in general were considered 'girly'. All the same this scarf didn't seem manly or girly. It was just simply cool.

"W-Why?" he asked, finding his mouth dry and swallowing difficult. He forced himself to look up at her. "Why would you give me something like this?"

Zipping her coat back up, she glanced through her lashes, her warm brown eyes glinted in the parks lamp lights. "You are going on an adventure to see your father, no? With so many uncertainties I feel like you need the great salamander to protect you more than I ever would."

"I didn't say I was going though..."

She rose, offering her hand and helping him to his feet. "Well. Now you have to."

"I do?"

She nodded, becoming serious. "I know you're afraid but you can't allow fear to hold you back - like crying when sad or hurt. If you do that the great salamander will get restless and angry. You do not want that, do you?" She patted the dragon emblem over his heart and he shook his head.

He couldn't help the lingering doubt. "But... what if he doesn't want me? What if-"

Her blonde brows rose and she cut him off countering, "If he does not either make him want you or find others who will. The great salamander will not be happy until you are happy." Sighing, her smile grew, head tilting up to the stars. "Besides, you will never know unless you try, right?"

He nodded slowly.

With a shake of her head she peeked back at him. "Thank you for comforting me, but I should head back. Virgo and the others are probably worried."

She started to turn to leave but before she got a step away he grabbed her arm. "W-Wait! What's your name?"

She turned back, examining him. Then a mischievous glint appeared in her warm brown eyes. "Look for the girl with the sun in her eyes, and she's gone. Where rocking horse people eat marshmallow pies and everyone smiles as you drift past the flowers that grow so incredibly high. I am she, and I'm in the sky with diamonds." Then she stepped forward, her lips pressing into his cheek. His mind froze and in spite of the chill, his blood boiled.

"Bye-bye, Pinky. Do not lose your head in the clouds or you will be like me."

With a Cheshire smile and blushing cheeks she slipped away, disappearing just as quickly and quietly as she had snuck up on him. Long after he lost sight of her golden hair and marshmallow get up, he stood there under the winking diamonds and dim lamp lights, fingers touching where her warm lips had been. Her mother's crimson scarf wrapped snuggly around his neck fluttered in the faint breeze that made him shiver. He wrapped his arms around himself, frowning.

"Man, I don't get girls at all..."

.~-~.

The crunch of tires of a _1967 "Eleanor" Mustang _painted black with crimson racing stripes down the center rumbled to a stop at the side of the road at the crest of the hill just before the city's limits. With the engine running, the twin headlights were pale searchlights stretching out into the cool misty air. A young man stepped out and surveyed the tranquil setting for a few seconds.

Shaking his head, he closed the door. He leaned against his car, pulling out a package of cigarettes from his jeans. Lazily he slip one out with his mouth and with the hand holding the pack cupped around the end to shield from the breeze as he lit the death stick in one fluid motion with his lighter. In the spark of flame his onyx eyes glinted and revealed his spiky pink hair dampening with dew from the wet airs. He flipped the lighter closed. Shoving both lighter and pack back in his jean pockets he took a deep breath. Then he sighed, pulling the cigarette away with two fingers.

"So this is Magnolia, Washington, huh?" He stuffed one hand into the front pocket of his red hoodie, the diagonal words _Salamander _ablaze in flames appeared on his back with the headlights of a passing car.

It wasn't a small city by any means. Not when it was but a thirty-five minute drive in light traffic to Seattle proper. But having grown up in the bustling cities of Drakston, L.A., and those other massive cities Magnolia looked like a quaint little village. One he was so going to enjoy tearing up.

Even so, he couldn't lose himself in the fun and forget the real reason he was there.

He flicked the building ash from his cigarette. Images swirled in his mind. Dusk giving into night. The chill of Autumn. Golden hair and warm brown eyes.

Nine years. It had taken him nine years. But here he was, so close to finally knowing her - the girl who gave him his name sake and the courage to face the unknown head on. It was all thanks to her. The girl who haunted his dreams with kaleidoscope eyes that glowed as if they were the sun as she stared up at the diamond filled heavens.

His Lucy, forever in the sky with diamonds.

With one last drag he flicked the blunt cigarette onto the road as another car passed. He tugged at the white scarf around his neck and opened his mustang's door. A smirk appeared on his lips as he hummed the old Beatles song. Soon his head would be in the clouds with her.

~~~~.~-~.~~~~

_I really don't need to start a new story but this idea wouldn't leave me. It's sort of Fox's TV series Bone's meets Fairy Tail meets Gangs where Temperance is played by Lucy and Booth is played by Natsu. Only he's not such a good guy and they aren't exactly solving murders. I still need to hammer out the main plot but I wanted to see how many people were interested by this. Should I continue it? Review and let me know!_


	2. Princess Pantherlilly Scar

_Wow so many reviews and followers. Nice! ;D Thank you so much guys. As for following other plots... I didn't realize there were other stories like this so hopefully I don't follow their plots. It shouldn't. This story mostly is about Lucy and Natsu reuniting and Lucy is going to learn to fall in love while Natsu is going to gain a few morals and learn to think things through. Sort of like what happens in Bones. I'm not exactly sure if there even is a bad guy - which is new for me._

_On a side note! I had to edit the type of car Natsu is driving. Turns out I was mixing up two different types of cars... leave it to my gear-head fiancé to point this out to me after I post the damn chapter. Originally I said it was a 1967 Shelby Super Snake. I was confusing it with the 1967 "Eleanor" Mustang from the Movie "Gone In 60 Seconds". The first one there is only one ever made and while Natsu's character is an elite of sorts he's not __**that**__ elite to get such a car without drawing a lot of attention which would not be a good thing for him or those he associates with. The second one was what I was trying for anyway. It's basically a very customized 1967 Shelby Mustang. It looks almost exactly like the movie car but black body with crimson racing stripes and may or may not be further customized depending on how I feel. (I really like those California tail lights that blink in sequence when you're turning. Soooo cool! And I'm not even a car person.)_

~~~~.~-~.~~~

"Emotional ties are ephemeral and undependable." -Dr. Temperance Brennan _"Bones"_

"Love is a chemical process which causes delusion. An intellectually rigorous person would never get married." -Dr. Temperance Brennan _"Bones"_

~~~~.~-~.~~~~

- Chapter Two -

Princess Pantherlilly Scar

"Aahhtuu!" a high pitched, mouse-like sneeze came from the blonde sitting on the floor in the artificial glow of the TV, frozen on the image of a hooded man in green, crouched on a rooftop and a bow drawn.

"You're soooo good looking, Lu-girl!" her apartment roomie cheered from behind the closed bathroom door down the hall.

The blonde teen rolled her eyes at her roommate's antics. Instead of saying _'bless you' _with all its religious connotations or _'gesundheit'_ seeing as she wasn't German, the girl told people they looked good after they sneezed. Lucy didn't understand why it was that phrase - other than something having to do with the girl's parents being atheists - but then, why not that phrase? It was as good as any other. It happened to be one of many unique and strange quirks Lucy enjoyed about the girl.

Lucy's hand reached for the bowl of popcorn and grasped a handful, then slowly popped the heat induced fluffs drenched in fatty triglycerides and biting sodium chloride particles into her mouth one by one. She silently munched and mused. It truly was funny how life worked. Before meeting Miss Levy McGarden on an online forum seeking the services of a skilled hacker (and proceeding to insult her and inquire her small but mighty wrath), Lucy hadn't had the experience of a friend. And in reality, like every other person that the socially awkward blonde interacted with, Levy had hated Lucy.

Initially, mind you. Now you would never know there had been any animosity between them with the two living together and Levy sticking to the blonde's side nearly twenty-four seven out of some erroneous loyalty - or erroneous in Lucy's opinion.

Flawed logic aside, Lucy was happy Levy talked her into moving to Magnolia two years ago to attend Magnolia high as a freshmen with her. The girl was spunky. Her energy and excitement contagious. What more, she opened Lucy's world and forced her to experience what life had to offer. Experiences that the distant teen otherwise wouldn't have. It was regrettable but even though she had run away as she had three years prior, she hadn't done much living in that first year before Levy. Not with her first encounters with the outside world and public schooling horribly trying and more than a little scarring. Other children, teachers, and parents didn't take her blunt observations all that favorably.

Not that she faulted them for that.

With the distant sound of the flushing toilet, Lucy sighed, finishing off the last of the popcorn in her hands before grabbing a napkin near the bowl and wiping the oil and salt grains from her palms and fingers. She glanced around their shared living room with an uninterested expression that gave nothing away. Other than the mess of blankets and pillows she was nested in before the couch, the room could have come out of a Victorian painting. Gray slate walls trimmed with white to match the ceiling and light gray carpet. Dark rosewood end tables, large three by four foot TV stand, and book cases ornamented with delicate ivy broke up the dull monotony whilst soft teals and royal purples in the fabrics and scant wall decorations added a sense of balance and vibrancy. Perfection that suited both girls for both of them had designed it and put it together.

Doing odd jobs here and there, they worked hard - or in Levy's case working her hacking skills hard - to obtain the funds to pay for everything. Lucy may not particularly be found of stealing from others but with her in hiding and Levy once known for doing far worse than skimming off loaded millionaires' bank accounts, there wasn't much she could complain about. They had to take what they could. Someday, though, Lucy promised she'd right all the wrongs her friend had committed.

The sound of running water stopped and the door to the bathroom opened. A blue haired teen with a pumpkin orange headband stepped out. Her petite figure in a matching orange dress was highlighted by the harsh light that spilled into the hallway. Said teen leaned back, flicking the light off and then ambled towards the blonde enclosed by blankets and pillows on the floor in front the couch. She covered her mouth, hiding her smile. Keeping the thought of how cute her blonde friend looked bundled up like a little child with her twin messy pig tails to herself, she crossed in front of the TV.

"So, where were we?" Levy asked, sitting and getting comfortable within the nested blankets and pillows beside her friend. She turned sideways, leaning against the couch to scratch the gray chin of her cat curled on the cushion and murmured in a baby voice, "Who's a good, Lilly? You are, you are! Yes, yes, yes."

Lilly, or rather Pantherlilly, tilted his head up with her caressing. His whiskers twitched as his chin quivered. Levy had named the cat after her favorite -and horribly underplayed and rated character!- Princess Pantherlilly from Peter Pan. Yes, Patherlilly _the cat_ was a male. The blunette didn't care about that. When the feral cat appeared wounded in the alley outside their apartment complex she automatically got attached and named him Patherlilly without so much as looking to see if he was a girl or not. Unfortunately for the cat the name stuck. Though he didn't seem to mind one bit.

"I still think a better name would be Scar, Levy." The blonde turned to face them, propping her arm on the couch and setting her chin on the palm of her hand. A faint rare smile pulled at her lips. Then she reached up with her other hand, brushing the area beside her left eye. A mess of white and red scar tissue was mirrored in that place on Mr. Lilly. "And more than just the obvious reason. Or perhaps Princess Patherlilly Scar, hm?"

Levy puffed her cheeks out in mock annoyance. "Oh hush, you just have a thing for the misunderstood characters."

Right brow raising slightly, the socially awkward blonde retorted, "A thing?"

"Oh you know..." She waved her hand as if to dispel an offensive smell, her nose wrinkled. "A thing."

"Not really... but I will take a guess and say you mean fascination?"

Rolling her hazel eyes the blunette faced the TV and grabbed the play station remote on the floor between them. "Fascination. Enticement. Attraction. A thing, Lu-girl, a thing."

"I agree..." she slowly stated. "I do have a _fascination_ with studying those who society does not take the time to identify with. Take Scar from the Lion King, for instance, he is portrayed as a vile villain serving his own goals." Lucy wagged her finger as if scolding her. "Yet if you strip away the bias storytelling you discover an understory of two brothers vying for dominance where Mufasa was constantly treated as the superior and Scar was never given the opportunity to show his worth. I believe he was only seeking equality and the chance to for once be the better one."

"Annnnd... he was only an egotistical scheming murderer... let's not forget that, Lu-girl."

"I never said I condoned what he did, just that for every reaction there was an initial action. Cause and effect. It is the way of the world."

"Of course it is."

Lucy ignored her sarcastic tone and continued her explanation, fully absorbed in it, eyes bright with thoughts. "I cannot understand his emotional reasons behind his actions but someone once told me that just because emotions are chemical reactions in our brains' does not mean they should be ignored."

"This coming from the girl who hates psychology," the blunette girl muttered slantways as she glanced momentarily at her friend.

"I would not say I hate it..." Her lips pursed in thought as she tapped her chin. "Only that I do not put much stock in it."

"Riiiiight," Levy drawled.

Missing her roommate's increasing disinterest in the conversation (having heard the blonde's thoughts on psychology far too many times that she could probably quote her word for word), Lucy pressed on, "Sure, chemical reactions happen but there is no way to tell what caused those reactions or if those chemicals are felt the same by two different individuals. There are too many variables, impossible to single one out. There is no way to test it, let alone complete multiple tests to see if you get the same results."

"Never mind unethical..."

"Right, right." Lucy nodded absentmindedly. "That too."

"She says oh-so casually..."

"Unable to give evidence to support their beliefs or theories _or_ even attempt the Scientific Method means emotions and the order of psychology explaining such emotions are unreliable. Even so, it's not that I hate psychology so much as I do not believe in its practical use... Now what was I talking about before this?"

Levy sighed and shook her head with a smile, teasing lightly, "Something about Scar and how you have _a thing_ for big furry pussie-cats?"

This made her friend pause. Then her brows creased. "No... I am pretty sure I was explaining how Scar is a misrepresented character in the Lion King in accordance to me finding social outcasts fascinating..." Lucy then nodded to herself in agreement, also ignoring the jest.

"Why did you even bother with asking me then?" Levy remarked softly, her head still shaking and her smile growing.

"Saying, _a_ _thing, _instead of what you actually mean is rather confusing. As you yourself said _a thing_ can mean many different words." Crossing her arms the blonde gave her a squinty eyed frown that the blunette girl duped _'are you okay, I'm afraid you're losing brain cells'_ look. No doubt it was a far better look than her _'you're a complete moron' _and _'am I loosing brain cells interacting with you?' _. "I'm not attracted to the misunderstood, Levy, I'm fascinated by them. There is a vast difference between those two meanings."

Levy just nodded her head, a large amused smile gracing her lips. She better than anyone knew there was just no arguing with Lucy. She would run circles mentally around you and get you to think up was down, left was right, and green really was the new pink and always had been. It was difficult grasping her over-rationalized way of thinking. Not to mention blunt and even at times crass. There was also the issue of her inability to notice unspoken communicational cues unless they were up in her face and practically screaming at her. Then again... she could be oddly intuitive in other instances. It was like she couldn't process another person's body language when talking. And forget sarcasm or pop-culture references outside of classic rock. Lucy was hopeless ignorant with both.

The socially inept blonde had come far these past two years under Levy's ever watchful eye and forced Sunday's pop-culture cramming days. Regrettably, not far enough. _Thank you, Netflix,_ the blunette girl mentally cheered, turning her attention back to the TV and the frozen image of the smexy hunk playing Oliver Queen in TV series _The Arrow._

"We ready?" Levy asked, finger over the play button on the controller.

With an apathetic expression her friend nodded, grabbing a pillow next to her and holding it to her chest as she brought her knees up. Levy noticed this and rolled her eyes, pushing the button. Silently the two watched as the young rich man who practically came back from the dead to atone for his father's sins, attempted to take down the people who wronged the city. Lucy had already commented on how unpractical a bow and arrow was, though she understood the metaphor behind it - restraint and patients. Unless it was a laboratory experiment, Lucy didn't have much of any patients. And even then, just barely.

"Aahhtuu!"

Levy jolted with her friend's sneeze, as did poor Lilly behind her who lifted his head begrudgingly to glare at Lucy before setting his head down and closing his eyes. "You're sooo good looking! Geez Lu-girl, someone must really be talking about you."

"Uh... What?" Lucy blinked, bemused. "I do not understand."

Chuckling, Levy continued watching the TV. "They say if you sneeze suddenly for no reason someone is talking about you. This makes twice."

"Do they?"

The blunette nodded, reaching for the popcorn and messily cramming a handful far too large into her mouth.

Eyeing the mess her roommate was making Lucy pursed her lips and squeezed the pillow in her arms. She then faced the screen and yet didn't pay attention. After a few minutes she came to a conclusion and nodded to herself, saying out loud, "Superstitious nonsense. Sneezing is caused by foreign particles irritating the nasal mucosa. Not the-the _hocus pocus_ of someone talking about me from some unknown distance away. I do not doubt with my... social reputation people talk about me but correlation does not equal causation, Levy."

Levy squealed, clapping her hands together excitedly. "Lu-girl! You used a pop-culture reference!"

The blonde tilted her head, musing over her last sentence. "Hm, appears I did."

"And unconsciously! Oh my gosh. Oh _my_ gosh." Levy jumped to her feet, rushing over to the kitchens island countertop and grabbed her cell phone. "Wait until Cana, Erza, and Mira hear about _this_!"

The blonde gave an exasperated sigh as she eyed her roommate whose fingers texting wildly. No one would ever see the grin present in the flickering dim glow of the TV. She rested her head sideways on the pillow, watching the overly excited girl.

_Thank you, Levy, for putting up with me. _These were words she hadn't ever said but found herself constantly thinking them. Instead of some random hacker who took her few bucks and did as she asked or worse took the cash and vanished, the petit blunette had grown insulted and hunted Lucy down to give her a piece of her mind in person.

Lucy didn't know why Levy didn't hate her like everyone else. Their first meeting was anything but pleasant. Not when this short little fourteen year old girl with pixie cut blue hair decked in a black ghetto outfit and a face full of piercings broke down Lucy's door demanding respect for her hacking accomplishments. What followed was a rather brutal beating verses a verbal lashing. Only blocking attacks to her face, Lucy, with just her words, had held up the metaphorical mirror to the blue haired girl, revealing to the blunette all her flaws and fears, utterly shattering the persona of a touch girl who didn't give a fuck who she hurt during her one woman crusade against the world that stole her parents from her. In the end, while Lucy may have been the one who took the physical punches it was Levy who collapsed on the floor, sobbing without so much as a physical blemish.

Watching her friend shooting texts back and forth amongst the others who deemed themselves their friends - all full of energy as she bounced from foot to foot in her rainbow toe socks - it was hard for Lucy to grasp how they had come to such an easy-going relationship. And dear she say... pleasing? Having been around Levy, and more recently the others, the socially awkward blonde had come to realize just how much she had to have hurt the girl.

It wasn't like she had been trying to hurt her. Lucy only spoke the truth.

Was that really such a bad thing?

With a frown Lucy stared at the light gray carpet beside her.

Her Mama always said to never tell a lie. She also said that to survive this harsh world she would need her brain, not her heart. Lucy was only doing just that. So it couldn't be bad.

She nodded to herself.

And yet the image of a fourteen year old Levy sobbing with gut wrenching moans that had made her fifteen year old counterpart quake, surfaced in her mind. She had just stood there holding her bleeding arm to her side as crimson warmth dripped onto the wood floor. Forced to watch this blue haired girl warring with weighted emotions, and Lucy herself confused and unable to connect with her obvious distress. In fact, Lucy wouldn't have made the comment she just had about Scar back then. Emotions outside of her own were perplexing bundles beyond her grasp - as distant as the stars in the night sky. Sometimes she forgot others even had them, just like when the sun hid those very same stars.

Even so... here was this girl who, in spite all the pain Lucy caused, picked herself up after sobbing a sea of tears and _hugged_ her, patched her up, and then refused to leave her side.

Why?

Again and again Lucy came back to this one word.

Her mind going in circles trying to wrap her rational thoughts around it.

Nothing.

She couldn't understand.

Licking her lips, Lucy glanced at Levy who continued to text, ignorant of the war in her blonde friend's troubled mind.

The word bubbled up and escaped her lips, "Why?"

"Hmm?" The blunette distractedly finished the message she was on before looking over at her. "Why what, Lu-girl?"

Lucy's face was impassive, giving nothing away to the turmoil she couldn't begin to describe inside as her brown eyes held fast to hazel. "Why are you here? Why have you not left?"

Levy's mouth parted slightly, shock registering. Then hurt, which was swiftly replaced with realization and understanding. Like anyone else would have Levy had taken Lucy's words as an attack. Not surprising with how she said them with no inflection in her voice, her eyes steadfast and unwavering. Almost like she was daring you to attack her. But the blunette noticed after closer inspection of the emotionless blonde that there were ever faint insecurities in her defensive form. Lucy wasn't attacking, she was shielding herself as she hugged her knees, fingers digging into the pillow trapped between her legs and chest. And those eyes that seemed to be daring you to attack her were praying you would not hurt her.

It wasn't that Lucy didn't want her there. It was that Lucy was afraid she would leave her.

Just like everyone else.

Levy smiled sadly at her friend, setting her phone down on the counter and ignoring the buzz of a new message. "Why not?" Slowly she walked over and knelt down beside her, resting her hand on the crown of golden hair. The expressionless blonde tensed like she always did when touched, unfamiliar with contact, but swiftly relaxed. "Do I need a reason to be here?"

Lucy nodded.

Stroking her silky golden hair gently the blunette wondered - not for the first time - what sort of isolated hell her friend must have been forced to endure to be so socially inept and so distant. Other than knowing she was a runaway hiding from a very powerful man, Levy never asked who that man was or why she ran away and Lucy never spoke of her past if she could help it. That was okay, Levy understood. Something's were too painful to recall or too difficult to put to words.

And for someone as rationally inclined as Lucy... It was like a whole different language to her.

With a sigh Levy hugged her, knowing the girl in her arms was confused by something as simple as a hug. She rested her chin on her friend's head.

"It was your uncertainty, Lulu," Levy murmured tenderly, "As I cried and you stood there, I wondered why you didn't try to touch me or comfort me and it was clear at that point you weren't going to say anymore because you weren't ever trying to hurt me. When I looked up I saw a startled and perplexed girl who didn't have the first clue of what to do next. I knew you were troubled for me. Clearly, if you just stood there staring at me instead of taking care of you self. But more than that it was in your once impassive eyes..." A few tears trailed down her cheeks as she squeezed Lucy. "I could tell you wanted to do something for me, but the fact that you didn't know a simple hug or gentle touch was all I needed I realized that... like Scar... you were not what I first thought you to be."

"So... I was a puzzle?"

"In a way, I guess you could say that."Levy pulled away, wiping her tears and frowned down at her blonde friend. Then she shook her head, adding, "But no, it was more than that. Unlike the rest of our friends who you've given a lashing to before also becoming your friend, I didn't fight your words once I recognized their merit. I accepted them and decided then to change and better myself. I was thankful - a stage none of the others reached without more time to process since everyone works at their own pace."

Lucy's forehead creased as she mulled the words over. The blunette allowed her the time, setting her chin once more on her golden crown of hair. In the background _The Arrow _still played, forgotten and her cell phone buzzed, equally forgotten. One floor above a single mother was yelling at her eldest to stop tormenting his little sister and the man from unite 407's dog yelped annoyingly.

Finally Lucy said, "You were... thankful(?) that I told you all about your hypocrisies and faults?"

Levy's eye twitched with minor irritation. It passed quickly, however. "Yes and no. No one likes being told what they are lacking or when they are wrong, Lulu. That's why people get angry with you and shun you. At the same time, no one up to that point told me how foolish I was being seeing as they were in the same boat as me. Nor did any of them have the spine to. No one dared until you."

She pulled away again and ruffled her friend's hair, messing up the already messy twin pig tails. The blonde frowned at this, sitting up and shifting away from her offending appendage. Levy giggled as she stuck her tongue out at her. Taking the hair bands out of her hair, Lucy started to re-braid her hair.

Looking away she whispered, "I think I understand, Levy."

"Good. And I'll have you know I'm like a clinging Care Bear, you aren't ever going to get rid of me." The blunette winked with a playful smirk and stood up.

Lucy paused on her second pig tail - her face contorting with frustration and confusion.

Levy's smile dropped instantly. "You're kidding right! You don't know about Care Bears?"

"No."

Emotionless once more, the blonde finished braiding her hair.

Face-palming, Levy shook her head. "Ay-Ay-Ay, Lu-girl. What am I going to do with you?"

~~~~.~-~.~~~~

_Sooooo. This was... I wouldn't say difficult but it wasn't easy either. Scientific mojo isn't that hard for me given my background in Zoology but it is tricky knowing when I've used too much. Overall this chapter was to set up Lucy's present character along with Levy's and give a basic summary of their past. I also wanted to show how it is possible for someone so emotionally detached from others and over-rational to gain friends when more often than not she ends up insulting them with the truth. _

_For each of her friends you will see in the coming chapters they had to face a very similar lashing that Levy got and like Levy said, in time they all come to realize Lucy is right as well as noticing how hopelessly broken the girl is. I plan to give brief explanations and maybe even whole chapters to show each relationship. And some will be far more complicated than others seeing as they aren't as level-headed and accepting as Levy._

_Well... that's about it for this chapter. If you guys found anything about it difficult to read or "too much" please, __**please **__let me know. I can't fix it unless I know about it! And if your wonder that whole "Your sooo good looking!" is actually a solute to my fiance's mother who used to do that all the time. She's been gone little over a year now so I thought to use it in rememberance. ;D_

_Oh! Also I have finished the next chapter to DragonBorn - Blood Curse but I'm waiting on someone whose beta'ing that story for me to get back to me. If you don't know what I'm talking about go check it out. It's a Mystery/Romance/Suspense also featuring Nalu. Then there is Stand In The Rain, a Mystery/Slight Horror Nalu (it is I promise it is!) fanfiction - for some reason no one has commented or followed and I'm perplexed as to why. Is it they don't think its Nalu or... I don't know. Other than being somewhat more poetic with my word choices and adding horror aspects there isn't that much difference in my writing style for it. Or maybe it's the first person point of view? Ghaa, so frustrating. I want to write it because the major twist and the plot is amazing but don't want to put effort into something no one will read, ya get me?_


	3. Beautiful Demons

_Thank you to all that reviewed and followed/favorited, you are all amazing! I seriously can't believe how popular this is. I also decided that instead of PM'ing reviews, I'll relay to reviews here. I'm sure some of the questions asked were thought by others who didn't voice them._

_**emikot316:**__ I'm sorry you didn't understand the last chapter so well. It could be because a lot of it had underlying themes I don't come out and say/write. It's more of "reading between the lines" and having the characters reveal it through their actions. As for Levy and Lucy meeting... Levy was a hacker who belonged to a group who stole money from people and created malicious wear just to cause pain and mayhem. Lucy (for a reason that will be revealed later) was looking for a hacker and in the process of hiring Levy ended up insulting her because she didn't think her reputation was something to be all that proud of. Levy didn't take it well and used her skills to find Lucy and meet her in person. After Levy changed (and while she does steal), she takes instead from those who wouldn't be harmed by it (aka rich) and doesn't do things just to cause pain anymore. As for your chapter one comment, yeah it is sad and there are people like that out there._

_**1fairytailover:**__ Actually I just started watching last week. Thank you, Netflix! I watched 15 episodes in one sitting. I was thinking of including a scene of him working out in that chapter but the corresponding 'issue' and discussion didn't fit. I don't know if I'll use it later when I finally do get to that 'issue'._

_**UnitedOsprey1991:**__ Thanks! While Lucy is heavily modeled after Bones I wanted to have a slight difference and while her knowing a little psychology but not believing/trusting it is sort of an oxymoron/hypocrisy on Lucy's part, I think it adds more dimension. I didn't ever imagine Levy with piercings until I wrote that and it surprisingly fit... and yes, can't you just feel the Gale love? To be honest I don't know when/if Gajeel will ever make an appearance in this story, but it's always good to keep the option there._

_**Kizerain: **__Yes, I love the interplay between Lucy and Levy. They complement each other rather well. Though I think Natsu and Lucy's interactions are going to be the best. Almost like a terrible train wreck you can't help to watch. I can't wait until they finally meet. 3_

_Again, thanks to everyone who reviewed! _

_If you guys haven't noticed I altered the cover picture. It's the same one by Neilund from deviantart but I changed the colors and Natsu's tattoo. Reasons? Well I felt that the original looked too much like normal Fairy Tail and not AU-ish enough. Also I don't know if there will be a Fairy Tail group or not yet... and if there is Natsu most certainly won't start out in it - if join at all. I realize who he is hasn't been covered yet (which will be revealed in later chapters) but I can say that those behind his tattoo and a hypothetical Fairy Tail would not like each other._

~~~~.~-~.~~~~

"Emotional ties are ephemeral and undependable." -Dr. Temperance Brennan _"Bones"_

"Love is a chemical process which causes delusion. An intellectually rigorous person would never get married." -Dr. Temperance Brennan _"Bones"_

~~~~.~-~.~~~~

- Chapter Three -

Beautiful Demons

"That'll be nine forty-seven, sir," chirped the cute blonde fronting the Starbucks register.

She kept glancing and averting her periwinkle eyes from the teen whose head was covered by a Seattle Seahawk's blue and lime green stocking cap with rosy spikes protruding out here and there. _Shit he's hot. If only I wasn't dating Steve... _A faint pink dusted her cheeks at the thought. Then sighed mournfully in her mind.

Said hot teen's dark forest gaze flicked down to her name tag, then back up as he drawled, "Sure, Cass-aaan-draaa." Her mind momentarily short circuited when he flashed white teeth in a large warming grin.

He shifted, lifting the back of his black zip-up sweatshirt with the words _"I'm your worst Nightmare" _written with bone white and Jack Skeleton from the _Nightmare Before Christmas _smirking devilishly on the back, and tugged out his wallet from his butt jean pocket. Casually flipping open the black leather, he moved his stare from her down, fingering through the cash. He pulled out a ten, holding it out for her. She reached for it and as the bill passed between them his fingers teased her palm.

Her blush reddened.

She reddened further when he winked at her, and then turned, his red converse sneakers squeaking on the tiles. He sauntered towards the pickup area, looking as if he owned the place as his right hand trailed on the countertop. _Oh hell._ With a shake of her head she started on his order, warring internally and externally with herself, finding it difficult to not to glance at him.

Faint jazz music played on the cafe's overhead speakers as the smug delinquent leaned against the wall and waited - not his first choice in music, but it wasn't the worst.

He held his wallet open skimming over its contents. Other than the California license there were three black credit cards, the wad of bills he stole from his overnight lodgings, and a sealed condom wrapper mixed with the cash. His license flashed white and pale peach with his smirking mug in the cafe's lights. It was a fake. Well no... the license was real but contained a few fibs.

_Natsu Dragion._

_DOB: 08/02/1991 (22)_

_Hair: Salmon Red_

_Eyes: Dark Green_

_Height: 6'0''_

_Weight: 205 lbs_

His birth name was Natsu Ames. His birth certificate said he was born in 1995 (four years younger than twenty-two). And he was actually a sliver shy of five eleven. No one questioned his license, though he did get carded a lot when he went out drinking or clubbing. People just couldn't believe he was twenty-two. Then again, he looked his true age and his childish tendencies didn't help.

He flipped his wallet shut and shoved it back in his butt pocket. Then he tugged at the white scarf around his neck before crossing his arms over his chest. The espresso machine groaned and hissed to his left as the frazzled barista made the drinks. His dark eyes surveyed the generic Starbucks cafe furnished in earth tones of green, brown, and gray. There weren't many people there - an old man with a whiskery white beard reading his newspaper, another collage age employee lounged in a corner chair listening to his music (his face looking like it got mauled by a shaver), and a young mother growing increasingly frustrated with her whining child who had to have a cookie from the food display.

It was early yet, only a quarter until eleven. In another hour or so the cafe would start swarming with the lunch crowd. He was surprised there actually weren't more people with it being the first day of the week. But he wasn't going to gripe about there not being _more _people.

The delinquent's gaze went to the windows that took up most of the stores front, watching the cars passing on the street.

As far as spontaneous adventures went this one was starting out rather well considering he didn't put much thought into it. Not that he ever did put much forethought - or any thought of that matter - into his actions. Life was more fun and more of a challenge that way. Though... even he had to admit he had been a little too thoughtless this time.

Natsu grimaced, then sighed. His eyes followed the weary mother who had finally broken down, getting her little carrot haired boy a cookie. The cute blonde barista called out his order (rather embarrassing one at that - _damn old coot_) and smiled shyly as he moved to grab them. She gave him the standard _"have a nice day_" but he caught the extra black writing on his drink and the knowing glint in her eyes.

He smirked.

"Thanks."

She smiled back nodding.

Natsu turned and strolled out of the Starbucks without looking back, thinking, _Sorry, Barista girl, any other time and I'd amuse myself with you. _

A pity too. She was cute and a blonde to boot. He only recently realized he had a thing for blondes. But even if the girl was cute and a blonde, he was chasing a dazzling star who had blindsided him long, long ago. And while he may have had several relationships over the years (none of them as serious as 'love' mind you), the Salamander never played with more than one toy at a time. As the saying went - threes a crowd - and he liked to lose himself in his toys, learning everything he could about them until he lost interest. More than one at the same time would be too much. There was also the fact that - in spite of his tendencies to not think, be impulsive and reckless, and even at times a hot-heat - he was surprisingly loyal and faithful.

Those were two perfectly good traits. Traits people usually sought in friends and partners. For him, however, those two traits under the right conditions could be twisted and tainted, turning into something dark and sinister. It was a side of him he wasn't exactly proud of and that he had regrettably let get the better of him on more than a few occasions. But there wasn't much he could do about it.

Natsu Dragneel did not share. Period.

He shook the thoughts away. This was why he hated thinking. Thinking led to memories and memories led to a dark gloomy mood. He set the two drinks on the ground beside his car and unlocked the door. Then he transferred them into the cup holders, softly grumbling as he did. A general rule of his was not allowing un-sealable drinks in his car. Accidents happened that way - especially with him.

However...

Today was a special case.

This was to find his Lucy.

And he _would_ finally _know _the girl behind those bright but distant chocolate eyes that haunted his dreams.

.~-~.

_**Spring Semester - The Wednesday of January 17 - Two Years Ago...**_

_A few weeks back from Winter Break, Magnolia High was still abuzz from the festive Holidays. Though the decorations were long gone, the spirit lingered. Along with the small frizzles of snow that always melted by midday as per usual on the west coast. Students -while not thrilled to be back in school and be forced into the tedious drudgery of learning and exams - were overjoyed to see their friends and share what they got as gifts from their families. _

_It was in this festive playful mood, hours after school had ended and clubs just got out, that the two beauties of the sophomore class clashed in the legendary way that only they were known for._

_The beautiful demons - as those safe outside their earshot called them._

_And yet... this time the clashes' ending was shockingly different._

_Erza Scarlet - one said beautiful demon - was amazingly enough at school that day. A rare occasion in itself but furthered by the fact that she (for whatever reason) had remained on school grounds after class hours. She sat alone across from the double doors of the library and group of chemistry labs, positioned in the large windows that overlooked the courtyard dividing the west and east wings. Her back rested against the brick wall, sitting on the windows foot wide ledge. She stared out blankly at the darkening sky. One leg was bent, arm propped up on it and the other leg dangling._

_No one could deny her beauty in the rosy orange glow of the setting sun. Stray rays caught her blood ruby hair - cut just a whisper shy of her chin. The red contrasted perfectly with porcelain pale skin that a Greek artist would coo over. Her charcoal gray eyes flecked with indigo specks reflected in the glass. Unreadable stony orbs that could sharpen into an arctic stare in a moment's breath and have hulking men double her five foot nine frame recoiling away. _

_Beautiful as she may be it was in that icy stare and what lay hidden by those baggy black cargo pants, _In This Moment _rock band t-shirt, and heavy army green jacket that made her a demon. _

_For this beautiful teen was the she-demon of the ghettos. A brutal warrior goddess among street scourge. Her curvy but lithe muscular figure honed by a life of poverty and hardships. With her no-nonsense attitude and street learned moves she could lay flat a group of attackers without remorse. She was the silent type. Cold and distant event to those in her small gang. She kept her thoughts close and her emotions even closer. _

_Fear of acquiring her wrath had most giving her a wide berth._

_Most._

_There was only one person who went out of their way to hassle this beautiful demon from the ghetto._

_That person was Mirajane Straus - the other beautiful demon of Magnolia High. Where Erza was poor, Mira was rich. Where Erza was an outcast, Mira was the Queen Bee. Where Erza was cold and distant, Mira was a blazing inferno exploding in your face. The only things both had in common were their beauty and the sinking feeling of despair when their attention focused on you - their next pray._

_Mira was with her close posse that day, as standard for her. A group of three that consisted of the head cheerleading captain and senior, Evergreen, co-captain and also senior ,Bisca, and her protégée little sister and freshmen, Lisanna. Together they strutted down the halls of the school as if they owned the place. All of them in their cheerleading red and white skirts having come from practice. During class hours they were a ravenous gathering of piranhas wearing Prada, Gucci, and Chanel that made it their life's mission to put those they viewed beneath them in their place and make their lives a living hell. _

_The Queen Bee herself the worst of them all. _

_A tragedy that was contrasted sharply with her wholesome sweet looks, silver white hair that was always pulled up in a high pony-tail , and stunning blue eyes. _

_Stunning blue eyes that only seemed to be alive when she faced off against the other beautiful demon - just as they did that evening when the Queen Bee and her posse rounded the west wing halls and found the ghetto she-demon sitting in the window._

_"Well... if it isn't Skankza," the silver haired cheerleader commented, coming to a stop a few feet away from the distant delinquent, her hip jetted out to the side and a manicured hand resting there. "You run out of change to feed the washers at the Laundromat and came to use the schools, huh? You do know that is against school policy right?"_

_"I wouldn't know," Erza retorted coolly._

_Mira smirked wickedly. "No. I imagine not." Her blue eyes trailed over the other teen's body. "Those clothes haven't been washed in three days in the least. Right, girls?"_

_"Probably a week," Evergreen sneered with disgust, flipping her chestnut hair over her shoulder._

_"No a month, big-sis."_

_Humming in agreement the Queen Bee stepped closer and fingered a strand of her red hair with distain. "Who can say about her though..."_

_A resounding slap sounded as the red head batted the other girl's hand away. Her icy stare turned from the window and focused on Mira. "Back off, _Maryjane_, I'm not in the mood to deal with your air-headed idiocy today."_

_The silver demon's tongue clicked against her teeth with minor irritation. It passed quickly as she threw her head back and laughed prettily. "Not in the mood? That's wonderful! When do you ever have a mood other than a frosty bitch, Skankza?" _

_Her three friends' joined her. Their cackles echoed through the halls sounding like monstrous harpies._

_Clenching her fists the red demon narrowed her eyes._

.~-~.

_**Fall Semester - Present Day...**_

"What should we make today, ladies?"

"Hm, Strawberry Cheesecake sounds good."

"Oh honey... we made that last Friday."

"Did we?"

"My... you forget so easily..." the girl mused aloud with a smile.

Shaking her head at her Strawberry Cheesecake enthused friend, the amused teen with flowing silver hair found her smile growing. _We've come far haven't we, Erza? _Her blue eyes took in the other girl's relaxed form clad in a cream sweater (not surprising with the chilly October air), but opted to wear a skirt and skin colored tights instead of jeans. The red head looked good - finally freeing her stunning body from those hideous baggy clothes.

Erza's outfit mirrored her own simple blue sweater and jeans greatly. But the days that the silver haired beauty cared about such petty things were long gone. She wasn't a saint or anything, and she did find some old tendencies rearing their ugly heads at times. But she was trying. She had gotten better. That still didn't change the fact that when she looked back on everything she did and who she had become that she wasn't disgusted.

With a sigh, Mira turned to look at the silent blonde beside her. Her long hair was help up by a clip, bunched off to the right side of her head in a golden waterfall. She wore a billowy cream shirt that was the length of some of Mira's old dresses (just below the ass). A black belt clenched at her petit waist and black leggings disappeared into worn brown boots. Overall a very pretty girl... and yet she was so... terrible with people. It was the silver haired beauty's dream to one day break the girl out of her troublesome shell, match her up with a good boy, and see adorable little blondes with big doe eyes running about.

Unfortunately that shell was proving more than problematic. None from their group of friends knew how to help the girl and Mira was at her wits end. Sure, there was progress, but at the pace it was going they would all be gray before their blonde friend would be free from her hidden prison. It worried her. It worried all of them. But unless one of them came up with a new approach or someone new came to shake the girl from her isolated world of truths and numbers and statistics...

_What am I going to do with you, Lucy?_

Mira shook her head, knowing that if she dwelled on the problem nothing would happen. Besides they were in their third period Cooking class. If the teacher didn't see them do _something_ productive they would get marked down on their class participation. Her blue eyes scanned the table they sat at. Scattered food magazines covered the table - well, most of the table. The area near Lucy was ordered in neat little stacks.

Picking up a promising magazine with chili on the cover, Mira asked, "What about you, Lucy? What would you like to make today?"

Thumbing through a magazine with a faint frown, Lucy muttered flatly, "I fail to see the importance when it will just be charcoal in the end."

Her friend smiled sadly giving her a sympathetic look. She brushed her long wavy silver hair behind her ear before reaching over and squeezing Lucy's forearm in comfort. "And that is why you are taking this class, Lucy. So you can learn the finer points of cooking."

The emotionless blonde flipped a page in her magazine and ignored the gesture.

The silver haired beauty sighed, blue eyes glinting with concern. "Look Lucy..." She glanced at their red headed friend still lost in her day dreamings of Strawberry Cheesecakes with a faint happy smile on her lips and her chin resting on her propped up hand. "Erza was a no good delinquent whose cooking skills equated to cracking heads instead of eggs."

Hearing her name the once she-demon of the ghettos blinked. Then she frowned at her old rival. Noticing the soft smile on Mirajane's lips she rolled her eyes.

Mira slapped her hand on the table trying to force Lucy to look up. Instead she acquired the shocked glances of classmates from other tables. "But now look at her!" Waving at the red head frantically she said with a hint of pride, "She took this Cooking class last spring and is working at Sweet Mutiny Bakery as their top cake chief... You'll be working a long side her in no time, Lucy!"

Flipping another page, Lucy slowly looked up to her two friends. Her face was completely blank. Though both girls managed to see the spark in her eyes - they hadn't been around the blonde enough to know what it meant but they both hoped it was amusement. "The probability of what you are suggesting is statistically improbable, Mira."

The silver haired beauty pouted. "No it isn't. Right, Erza?"

Both looked to the ex-delinquent. She pursued her lips in thought, gaze falling to the table. "Well... It's true that with more practice comes expertise. But Levy has been trying to teach her for two years without much luck. It might be-"

Mira interrupted the red head with a cough into her hand, and shot her a glare. A flash back to her old demon days. Erza's eyes widened, realizing herself. Both turned their gazes back to the blonde who was reading her magazine once more with an unreadable expression. However, if one knew where to look they would notice the slight slump of her shoulders.

"It might be... ah... different with a structured class, Lucy. A-And with Mira and my help of course."

"See, Lucy. Don't give up yet." Mira rested her hand on her friends arm again. "If you have trouble all you have to is ask. You will always be here for you."

Grabbing one of the many magazines from the table, Erza changed the subject. "Is there something that interests you? We can start there, break it down step by step, and then keep doing it until you get it right." She nodded to herself, pleased with the plan.

With the silence the red head peered over her magazine at Lucy. Mira was doing the same. They waited. Patiently. You had to with Lucy, she never worked on others terms and often didn't realize people were waiting on her. The socially awkward blonde flipped a few pages. Then she straightened in her seat. A subtle movement, but it was the only change in her otherwise emotionless expression that told them that she had found something that spiked her interests.

She bit her lip. Her brown eyes scanned the page.

Then she nodded and whispered, "Maybe..."

"Aaand? What is it, Lucy?" Mira pushed. She glanced at her once hated rival and knew she too was just as curious to know what had captured the blonde's attention.

Lucy slowly turned the magazine around. On one side was the picture of what looked like a swirling pile of cream... lit on fire. The words _Baked Alaska _printed in bold red on the other side and the recipe to make the sponge cake that was topped with ice cream and fire beneath it. Anyone who knew about baking knew it was one of the hardest desserts to make. It took time, patients (which Lucy lacked outside of her meticulously planned science experiments), and a great deal of skill.

"Can we assemble this?"

The beautiful demons shared a flabbergasted glance. Then looked back at their blonde friend and the picture. Neither knew if they could do it themselves, let alone help the oh-so helpless Lucy. But neither could find it in their heart to say no - for the once vacant girl was basically aglow with excitement. Her warm brown eyes were innocently big, a small hopeful smile tugging at her lips.

How could they possible crush _that _pathetically cute expression?

.~-~.

_**Spring Semester - The Wednesday of January 17 - Two Years Ago...**_

_The red demon hopped down from her perch her fiercest glare on her face. _

_The silver demon didn't back down, the glare ineffective against her - though her three companions took cautious steps back._

_For a few seconds no one moved. Birds chirped outside in the trees. The sun nearly set over the horizon. A floor above them the wheels of the janitors cleaning cart gave a shrill screech as he rolled it down the halls. And now, with the silence, they could hear the distant voices of other students and teachers that lingered after hours in the school, going about their business. Never knowing of the teetering tension._

_Then... Erza sighed and relaxed her clenched fists. Her glare fell to a frown. _

_"Whatever."_

_Mira blinked as the red head shifted and brushed past her, walking away. The Queen Bee frowned. This wasn't what happened! Her rival was supposed to stand up against her. She was supposed to fight back. She was the only one that dared to! Now she was walking way?!_

_No, the silver demon wouldn't stand for this!_

_There was no way she'd allow her rival to back down like this._

_"That's what I thought... what a pathetic bitch. Seems you really are all talk and no bite," she taunted at her counterpart's retreating form. It wasn't working. She licked her lips, searching for something that would stop her. "I wonder, is that why that stupid silly cat-girl isn't by your side? Oh what was her name? Millivan?" With a shrug she giggled, "Matters not. She was smart to get away while she could. Before she died, that is..." _

_The red demon froze. Her head bent and chin-length blood ruby hair falling before her face._

_Knowing she was onto something the silver demon mockingly gasped, her hand coming to her mouth as she murmured, "Or perhaps you finally got her killed? That's it, isn't it?" _

_The red demon's hands were clenched so hard they were shaking._

_Hips swaying, Mira and her companions started to pass her rival. She roughly bumped her shoulder with hers and snickered, "Good riddance I say. Cat-girl was merely another body that took up space."_

_"Her name was Milliana."_

_Mira paused, glimpsing back with indifference. "What do I care about some worthless nobody's name?"_

_Erza's head slowly came up, a raging fury in her gray orbs that made them appear almost black. The loathing, pain, and grief made all the cheerleaders flinch. _

_"She wasn't some worthless nobody! She was... She was sweat! And innocent! How was it her fault that her parents abandoned her on the steps of a church?" With her words her voice lowered and she stalked towards her hated rival. "Tell me? How was it her error that she didn't come from money like a petty bitch like you? You - who hides behind your flashy clothes and daddy's money like a crown, holding it against the rest of us who weren't lucky to be born in your place?" _

_The red demon came to a stop before the silver demon; their faces inches apart and she sized Mira by the shirt and snarled in her face, "Why is it that she had to die and not you or me?"_

_"Why not her?" Mira retorted, unwilling to show her fear. She pried the red head's fingers from her red and white top cheerleading top and shoved her back. "Innocents doesn't equal worth."_

_Erza chuckled bitterly. "No... I guess it wouldn't. Not for someone like you."_

_Straitening her top, the Queen Bee sneered, "And what is that suppose to mean. I'm innocent."_

_"Sure you are..." The red haired delinquent circled her rival, looking her up and down with disgust. "You really should remove that purity ring, God knows you've spread your legs for every guy on the football team." She paused behind the stiffened girl, flicking her silver pony-tail as she leaned close and spoke into her ear, "And the basketball team... and the track stars."_

_"That's not true!" Lisanna cried, yanking on Erza's arm and forcing her from her older sister. "Big-sis would never degrade herself so!"_

_Erza's brows rose sardonically and smirked coldly. "I can promise you, mini-Mira, that she has. Oh has she ever. Carle Reath. Steven Smith. Andy Jackson..." She counted each name on her fingers, pausing. "Should I continue?"_

_"No!" The younger Straus sister went to her sibling's side and shook her, her blue eyes wide with angry tears. "Come on, Big-sis. Tell her she's lying. We made a promise to Mother! This bitch is lying, you would never break our promise."_

_With Mira's silence Lisanna's tears become bigger and she shook her sister more. _

_"Mira, please tell me it's not true. Please! We promised Mom to keep ourselves for are special someone so we wouldn't end up with someone like fath-"_

_"Shut up, Lisanna!" The silver demon jerked her arm from her little sister. She rounded on the red demon with a dark twisted snarl, "How? How do you know about... them?"_

_"You shouldn't fuck in the back seat of a car on school property." With a tisk the delinquent leaned in, adding, "All can be seen from the roof of the school... even the far back lots."_

_"No. No. NO!" A sob tore from Lisanna's throat. She gave her older sister a broken look of betrayal and ran off, her feet pounding on the tiles. The other two friends watched the girl go, torn, wanting to consol her but not willing to leave their Queen's side._

_"Y-You... You..." Mira's voice shook. Her blue eyes watering as they watched her little sister vanish down the stairs._

_"Hm, yes?" Erza put a hand on her hip. "What could you possibly want from me now, __**slut**__?"_

_"I'm going to kill you!" she screeched._

_Mad with rage and guilt, the silver demon - for the first time in her life - started a physical fight by jumping onto her rival and fisting her red hair._

_She started a physical fight with the vicious warrior goddess of the street scourge... _

_Knowing scratching and hair pulling wouldn't cut it, her two friends ran to get a teacher, leaving the two beautiful demons to their brawl..._

.~-~.

_**Fall Semester - Present Day...**_

"Oh my..." Mira whispered with her hand on her cheek, her expression torn between shock and amusement.

With a hand covering her face Erza shook her head, unable to form words.

Before them at one of the stoves was their blonde friend who stared at them. Mild irritation flashed in her brown eyes. She was swathed in smudges of melted chocolate, batter, and frothy egg whites on her face, arms, once cream colored shirt, and - far more amusingly - her hair. She blew a chocolate covered strand of blonde hair that had fallen free in all the commotion from her eyes.

"You two are appalling horrible at establishing concise step-by-step directions."

"Well if you followed them properly..." Erza frowned, never one to take a critic sitting down.

"I did," deadpanned the blonde who grabbed their messy detailed directions that had arrows going all over the place and waved it around before her. "It led me into this... this mess!"

The silver haired beauty giggled softly, her finger swiping the clump of batter from Lucy's cheek and tasting it. "At least you're on the right track. It doesn't taste bad."

"Oh? Let me try."

Erza stepped forward and swiped up a clump on Lucy's chin. Popping it in her mouth her face became serious with thought. Then she hummed in agreement. "A little too much almond abstract... but I like it."

"Yes... and what is that other flavor..."

"I don't know... Shall we taste again?"

"Yes, let's shall!"

Both reached for another swipe - both knowing how uncomfortable it was making their friend. Her mouth was open slightly, her eyes narrowed and nose wrinkled with revulsion. She flinched every time they touched her. Unable to stand it anymore she huffed in frustration, batting their hands away and took a few steps back. It never crossed Lucy's mind that she could have just ask them to stop.

"You two..." her voice trailed off as she pointed her finger at them. Then she shook her head, turning away and grabbed a rag. Her nose wiggled as she attempted to clean herself.

The beautiful demons' watched her, then smirked between themselves.

"Hey Mira, you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I don't know, Erza, is it maybe... helping Lucy get clean?"

"Might be."

"With this oh-so convenient sink sprayer here?"

"And this bowl I'm filling with water?"

They glanced at the unsuspecting blonde who had her back to them. Their smirks grew as they nodded to each other. Without warning Mira pulled the hose to the sprayer out and aimed it at Lucy while Erza poured the bowl of water on her head.

Lucy sputtered, freezing in place.

Then she turned slowly to face them. Her golden hair stuck to the top of her head. Her cream shirt with chocolate stains, batter, and egg whites - looking for all the world like she got in a fight with the Pillsbury Doughboy... and lost. The expression on her face priceless. It could only be described as _'Omg! What the fuck did you just do!'_ What with the small crease between her brows but her eyes slightly wide and mouth ajar.

The two beautiful demons exploded with laughter.

Payback was a bitch... and then she has a little of puppies - as they say.

.~-~.

_**Spring Semester - The Wednesday of January 17 - Two Years Ago...**_

_Caught up in their fight the two beautiful demons didn't notice the annoyed blonde freshmen stomping towards them until freezing cold water slashed on their faces. They broke apart, gasping and screaming. Then they dumbly sat on the tiled floor and stared up at the emotionless girl who still had the beaker held above them. The beaker she used to fill with water and dump on them._

_Slowly she brought her hand down, looking between the two of them._

_"You're senseless melodramatics disrupted my concentration and ruined my experiment I've worked the past week on. Either shut up or move the futile squabbling elsewhere." She turned on her heel and stalked back into one of the laboratory rooms._

_The two beautiful demon's gawked, amazed someone had the guts to do that to __**them**__. _

_Furious the silver haired demon picked herself up and sneered, "That bitch is going to get it." She turned to Erza and scoffed, "This isn't over, Skankza." Then she stormed off._

_The red demon ignored her, glowering at the door the blonde girl disappeared through. "For once we agree."_

~~~~.~-~.~~~~

_So we got a little Natsu with a whole lot of Erza and Mira. Originally this chapter was going to be all about the two "beautiful demons", but then I realized that I might as well have that scene with Natsu before since it does happen time-wise just before the whole Baked Alaska incident. Also a reviewer asked when they meet... and while it's not Lucy and Natsu meeting it does show he is still there and very much important. Though is it just me or does Natsu seem a little... possessive?_

_What do you guys think of Erza and Mira's personality changes? I realize this isn't the whole story but basics of what is to come. I do plan to show pieces of the war between the three that started from that incident and eventually end with them being friends... I wonder if any of you can guess what their secret wishes are that makes them act as they do? Oh, also... I was worried that some of you wouldn't get Erza's interplay with Mira's name. As we all know Mira is Mirajane. Maryjane, however, is what writers call the perfect cliché character. Meaning they have killer good looks, smart, and have everything going for them and etc etc. I actually think Hiro Mashima knew this and thus named her so. Because let's face it... she really is a perfect character. Then there is also this... Skankza = Shank + (Er)za. Just in case if it wasn't obvious..._

_Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed this. Let me know if anything doesn't make sense or is just hinky. Or if you have a random funny thought! I enjoy those. Oh, also if you have any jokes... Or! Any funny and horribly awkward situations you want to see Lucy be put through. I think she could stand to suffer some. Hehehehe :D_


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